


What the Cat Found

by Who_First



Series: Thieves and Shine [1]
Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: Angst, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-03
Updated: 2012-01-03
Packaged: 2017-10-28 20:21:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/311808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Who_First/pseuds/Who_First
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How Tim ended up with Selina in the Thief!Tim verse</p>
            </blockquote>





	What the Cat Found

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: very sad and angsty. Dedicated to everyone who could use someone like Selina to just hold you. Own nothing unbeta’d

**Loneliness isn’t always Fatal**

Rainstorms, the kind that made parts of the city flood, weren’t at all rare in Gotham but they usually meant that she was inside trying to pass the time. Like all cats she disliked getting wet. Of course raining cats and dogs, _yuck,_ normally meant that she would be alone for the night. Gotham was full of people not in their right mind but even most of them would hesitate at this kind of monsoon.

So it was with surprise that she stalked over to the apartment door and the soft unsure knocking.

Honestly she didn’t know who it was. Or possibly ‘what’ it was. Tiny figure was absolutely soaking and dripping on the worn floorboards in the hall. Even when the head tilted up and big wet blue eyes caught hers through dark dripping bangs of black hair. And that couldn’t be rain because it was pouring down his face while everything else was just dripping heavily. Blue eyes that were huge and swollen and a nose that was also dripping.

And then he did recognize those eyes.

“Tim?!” Selina was grabbing the young teen and pulling him inside her warm apartment. “What are you doing here? What’s wrong Tim?”

Because she had only seen his face once before and that was when she has been so afraid he was about to lose an eye and the littlest Robin had let her patch him up. And now he was standing as a rain soaked civilian in her tiny apartment.

“Tim darling I need you to talk to me.” Selina was cooing,  and Tim was so quiet and he chest was heaving trying to keep from letting out the sobs that were wracking his body. “You don’t have to tell me what’s wrong but I need you to talk so I know you’re still here.”

But Tim just shook, eyes staying on the floor as he let Selina guide him towards the bathroom.

“Alright. That can wait a moment. But you’re soaked! Will you take your clothes off while I get a blanket and something for you to wear?” Not that she wanted to leave him alone for a second but he needed to get out of that wet clothing. And Lady was slipping into the bathroom with Tim and wrapping a bushy tail around his legs as she circled him.

Still, Selina hurried through her apartment getting things together. The blanket wasn’t a problem but the only clothing she had that Tim wouldn’t blush at wearing was a huge red plaid shirt that would probably end around his thighs. It certainly went far enough on her. Tim didn’t need to know at all why she had something like it.

When she got back to the bathroom, blanket and shirt in hand and hot cocoa on the stove, Tim was just standing there shivering naked while Lady sat on the counter and tried to pat at his arm.

Selina never blinked, just dropped the blanket, and held the shirt up watching as Tim slowly put his arms through the sleeves and let her button it up. She didn’t say anything, just made soft sounds and patted at wet spots with the bathroom towel and when she was satisfied wrapped the blanket around Tim’s shoulder and leading him to the kitchen lounge area with the comfy couch.

Putting him down on the couch, Selina pet Tim’s hair and hugged him, murmuring soft nonsense words, as he broke down into sobs and coughing. And Lady, the huge spoiled cat wrapped herself around Tim’s neck and the back of the couch purring away.

Soon enough the cocoa was done and she had Tim’s hands curled around it while he leaned against her shoulder.

They spent the rest of the night like that, well Selina did when Tim fell asleep, just sitting on the couch and cuddling. It was well into the next morning when Tim stirred against Selina’s side, still clutching his long cold hot cocoa, waking up to Selina gently running her fingers through his hair and a cat leaning against his side.

“Good morning Tim. How are you feeling?”

Selina never called him by name, no matter how long ago she had made it obvious he knew who he was under the mask, it was always ‘Robin’ or ‘Kitten’ or some other nickname.

“I…” Tim’s voice was terrible. Hoarse and broken and lost. “I didn’t know where else to go.”

“It’s okay Tim. You’re my favorite bird; you’ll always be welcome here.”

“I…” Tim unconsciously tried to shift away but Selina had an arm around his shoulders and wouldn’t allow it.

“I gave up Robin.”

Selina’s arm tightened and then she was sliding off the couch to sit in front of him, both hands grasping Tim’s.

“What happened Tim? Did Bruce do something?” If that idiot did something Selina was going to show him how a cat could sharpen her claws.

“No.” Tears were starting to pool in his eyes and Selina could see he didn’t want to blink and let them ecape. “His real son came and they were… I just couldn’t take it. I had to leave.”

“Tim-“

“It was my choice,” Tim was shaking and his shoulders were curling in as he hunched forwards. He just sounded so lost. “It’s stupid but I couldn’t. It was… too much.”

“Tim,” Selina hugged him as Tim slipped of the couch and curled around her waist. And the cat followed rubbing against Tim’s back. “I don’t know what happened but Bruce loves you even if he had a new son.”

“I can’t.” Tim wailed into Selina’s chest. “I lost everything, I-I can’t. He’ll leave me behind! He would take Robin away. I had to leave!”

Selina couldn’t tell the distraught young man how he was giving it up instead. How Bruce would never do something like that. _Right?_

“It’s okay sweetie. It’s okay. I’ll take care of you as long as you need it. And you’ll always need it. We’ll get a bigger apartment and we’ll work this out.”

Tim was still sobbing and shaking in her arms.

“I know I can’t fix everything, but we’ll work around this and you’ll find new things in life to enjoy and be proud of.” Selina brushed through Tim’s hair as he quieted. “Who knows, maybe you’ll become my partner.”


End file.
